


An Irregular Birthday

by SCFrankles



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: 221B Ficlet, Community: watsons_woes, Gen, Humor, Watson's Woes July Writing Prompts 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 04:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4507386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SCFrankles/pseuds/SCFrankles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five of the Irregulars share a birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Irregular Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Watson's Woes](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/) [JWP 2015 Amnesty Prompt](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1437536.html) No. 4: **Another Year Older and Surrounded By Idiots:** Benedict Cumberbatch is not the only July birthday among Holmes actors – Robert Stephens (Private Life of Sherlock Holmes), Vasily Livanov (Russian Sherlock Holmes films), and William Gillette (the first stage Sherlock Holmes) share the month with him. Incorporate a birthday observance in some way.
> 
> Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are the creations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
> 
> * * *

It was a lovely spring morning, but Watson frowned over the top of his newspaper as the five Irregulars left the sitting room of 221B—each clutching two shillings and calling: “Thank you, Mr Holmes!”

Holmes beamed after them. “Happy birthday to you all!”

Watson sighed as the last boy disappeared. “I do wish you’d told me what the money was in aid of before asking to borrow it from me, Holmes.”

Holmes turned. “Oh, come now. Surely you don’t begrudge them a couple of shillings each on their birthday?”

“Hmm...”

Watson looked down at his paper. He turned a page.

“Holmes, is it not odd that Wiggins, Simpson, Campbell, Edwards and Taylor should all have their birthdays on the same day..?”

“Not _that_ odd.” Holmes smiled kindly down at Watson.

“No, no,” said Watson, not looking up. “It was quite impressive the way you explained what the likelihood was of them all having their birthday on this _particular_ day.”

Watson raised his paper slightly and shook it out.

“Namely, the first day of April...”

Holmes stared for a long moment at the newspaper. Then he turned and stared at the door.

There was a pause.

“You know, Watson,” said Holmes eventually. “I feel a bit of a fool.”

“Do you?” said Watson, studying his newspaper. “I feel down 10 bob.”


End file.
